With the obvious exception of compensation and benefits, the administration of discipline is probably the single most important dimension of the employment relationship. Arbitrary and unfair imposition of discipline – even if legal – can have dramatic, adverse consequences for the employer.
Discipline is not and should never be the goal. Discipline is a tool to help the employer produce a happy, productive workforce.
The employer should think through what it wants to reward and what it wants to discourage and then communicate these thoughts. The imposition of discipline should never be a surprise to the employee. A well-developed policy that is implemented correctly should almost always result in an employee acknowledging that he/she knew better. Granted, that acknowledgement will not always happen, but if the documentation is in place, it will be evident to any third party looking at the documents that the employee should have expected some level of discipline.
Finally, the disciplinary policy and the administration of discipline should be perceived as fair from the perspective of the disciplined employee and his/her co-workers. This goal requires the employer to be mindful of: